Conferences and Conventions

by Kaye George (who will also be Janet  Cantrell at the next convention)

Are these good for authors to attend? I had a publisher who insisted they are a waste of time and money. True, they do use up these things, but I could never call them a waste. I’ve gotten SO much out of them. After all, it’s due to Malice Domestic and Killer Nashville that I can call myself an award winning writer!

Besides the opportunity to win awards and put cool things on your book covers and in your bio, the psychological benefits are enormous.

I’ll never forget the time I arrived at Malice late Thursday night and, after chucking my things in my room, headed down to the bar for a drink. Vicki Delaney came up to me while I was ordering and said, “Hey sailor, can I show you a good time?” Vicki is a stitch! I joined her and a small group of writers at a table. We were the only ones in the bar. A rousing discussion of ellipses and em-dashes ensued. You can’t find fun like that if you’re not with a bunch of writers!

Then there was the time I lunched with Annamaria Alfieri in Nashville. She had attended a session that I hadn’t been able to, so she filled me in. We were talking about human trafficking, to use the polite term, which had been the topic I’d missed, but we were also talking about plot possibilities. When mystery writers get together, serious discussions of murder methods, plot devices, and the dark side of the human psyche flow. I would feel awkward speaking about those things in public if I weren’t with other writers. I wonder what the waiters at those conferences think.

When I first started attending conferences, I gained a huge amount of knowledge from listening to panel members talk about details of writing, also about publishing, submitting, and just plain keeping on in the face of the incredible amount of rejection we all experience.

As I’ve gotten published and am now speaking on panels, I find that I don’t need to attend the sessions about nuts and bolts writing so much, but still find it great fun to see the people I know behind the panel tables.

Which brings up another benefit, getting to meet people face to face that I’ve known online—sometimes for years. Sometimes I’m surprised at how short or tall people are, and by what their voices sound like, especially accents. After I’ve met someone, I can hear their voice as I read email exchanges and blog posts, and can picture them much better than I can from a tiny headshot.

Also, of course, there’s always the hope that attending mystery readers and fans will discover and like your books!

By the way, I’ll be at Malice Domestic in May and if you’re free at 3 on Saturday, my panel will be called “The Paws That Refresh”—a panel by writers who use pets in their novels. I think you’ll have time to get down to the bar to see the Kentucky Derby at 4. If you leave early for that, I’ll forgive you.

Have I missed any of the benefits of conferences?

My Malice Weekend

I know I’m very late posting Malice things. We have family in the DC area and just drove home today (through rain and over the mountains!). On the way there, the highway was lined with blooming redbuds and dogwoods, just like last year. I checked in on Thursday and caught up with a few folks.

Saturday, I was pleased to find all of my novels in the bookstore! I was even more pleased on Sunday when I went to offer to buy back the unsold copies and Kathy Harig put her hand on my stack protectively and told me that those were hers. How nice!

Malice Go Round was the usual breathtaking speed date affair. Well, breathtaking for the authors, and for the listeners when we learned about some great new books we took note of to read.

The Guppy lunch on Friday was well attended. That afternoon was a whirlwind for me. I met my agent, Kim Lionetti in the bar and am once again impressed by her and how much she’s doing for me and how much she cares about my whole career, even beyond the contract she secured for me. Right after that was the panel I was on, for the nominees for Best Historical Novel. 

Harriet Sackler and me on Best Historical panel--Laura Oles

And right after THAT, the Guppy Steering Committee met in the bar (with boas) for an official meeting. We discussed some business in person that probably would have taken days by email. And right after that were the opening ceremonies where I was presented with my certificate for being a nominee. Then was the dinner at Ruth’s Chris given by my next publisher, Berkely Prime Crime. This made me miss the live auction, but my item, a name in a future Fat Cat book, went for a very good price.

Saturday morning started out with the Sisters in Crime breakfast. All the Guppies wore boas by prearrangement. Some people didn’t understand, but that’s OK--we did.  I wanted to attend the 9:00 panel, but missed it and didn’t want to go in late, so instead waited until time to head for my signing at 11:00. 

Signing: Amanda Flower, Christina Freeburn, and me--Dru Ann Love

In the afternoon, my agency treated us to an elegant wine and cupcake reception. (That was probably the best cupcake I’ve ever had!)

I got a big surprise at the Saturday Guppy lunch, so I’m very glad I decided to attend. KB Inglee instituted a brand new award, given by her, called the Cadaver Award. She decided to bestow it on the author whose book she had recommended the most times in 2013. It was my DEATH IN THE TIME OF ICE! And what a fun award: a handknit cadaver who has had an autopsy. I was able to stick it in my name tag badge and wear it the rest of the day.

Me and Cadaver (and Laura Oles)--James M. Jackson

The awards banquet was at 7:00. My family came and helped me cart my goody bags down. Actually, my son in law carried all 8 of them. My table was very fun, with my hubby and daughter and son in law and a bunch of friends and fans. Here’s a link to the nominees and winners. 

Some of my Malice Banquet table--Teresa Inge

The New Authors’ Breakfast came very early on Sunday, then I was actually able to attend some panels, check on my books, and pick up my extra bookmarks before the tea.

Man, was I exhausted after all that!

PS. Thanks to people who sent me some photographs--I didn't take my camera to Malice!

Malice, 2014

I spent the past four days, from Thursday to Sunday, at Malice Domestic in Bethesda, Maryland.. Officially, this is a convention for fans of traditional mysteries, but I consider it the best mystery writers’ conference around. Of course I haven’t attended every mystery writers’ conference to compare, but this was my third Malice and for me, they only get better and better.

I didn’t win a chance to do Malice-Go-Round on Friday morning—when pairs of authors go from table to table, to speak very briefly about their latest book or books. But Saturday morning I was on a panel with Erika Chase, Kate Carlisle, and Kylie Logan, which was wonderfully moderated by Becky Hutchison. Out subject was “Murder By the Book: Book-Themed Mysteries.” I got to talk about my latest mystery, Murder a la Christie, the discussions my book club characters have about Agatha Christie novels, and the parallels between my novel and some Christie novels.

The best part of the weekend for me was catching up with friends, writers I’m in constant touch with via email, listservs, and Facebook. In some cases, I was finally able to meet them in the flesh for the first time, people I’ve known “electronically” for years and years.

Going out Friday night for dinner with ten friends, old and new, was a highlight for me. Every year I’ve been to Malice I’ve gone out with Th
eresa Inge and her pals. This year I brought along a slew of my own. The hotel recommended a restaurant a few blocks away, and it was a winner. The food with great, the conversation nonstop.

There’s no way I can speak about Malice without mentioning the Guppies. This group of supposedly unpublished mystery writers has grown. I believe we’re over 500 strong. The thing about the Guppies is that even after members are published, they rarely leave the group. And so it was that two Guppies won an Agatha, as announced at Saturday night’s banquet: Leslie Budewitz for Best First Novel and Hank Phillippi Ryan for Best Novel.

I’m honored to be part of my mystery writers’ world. My fellow mystery writers are from all over the country and have held all sorts of jobs and positions. Some still work at their "day jobs," as they write their books. Among my friends are a rabbi, a retired judge, a retired member of the navy. And Saturday afternoon I had a long chat with a former nun. All wonderful, vibrant people who share my passion for writing mysteries.

Distractions

Why is it that sometimes when I’m distracted by life’s events, nothing will help me except to write? Other times, I’m too distracted to write. What’s the difference?

Going on the premise that everything that happens to a writer is grist for the mill, here’s my theory. Some distractions (life events, disasters, glorious successes) can be celebrated by immediate writing. Others have to be processed a bit first.

But eventually, everything has the potential to be written about.

Right now, the upcoming Malice Domestic is distracting me--in a good way. I’ve found the bookmarks I had safely stowed where I almost didn’t ever find them again. I’ve located the books I’m bringing for consignment, and the extra copies of my new book for a signing right after Malice in Baltimore (at The Gift Cellar, 4337 B Harford Rd., Baltimore, Maryland 21214, from 2-5 on Sunday, May 5th). I bought new clothes and sewed the buttons that came off the first time I washed them. My vitamins are packed and I have plenty of audio books and snacks for the drive.

But I need to practice my pitch for the Malice Go Round some more! This is a fun event, like speed dating. Two authors pair up (I’m going around with Sasscer Hill, lucky me!) and each give a two-minute mini-talk about her new book, allow a minute for discussion, then rush to the next of the 20 tables, each holding 10 eager listeners. You hope the result will be that some readers who’ve never heard of you decide they’re interested in what you’re writing.

So, enough blogging. Off to finish packing and practice my two-minute talk, which is about one minute and twenty seconds.

(I’ve written this well ahead of my day to post, since I’ll still be out of town when the 11th of May rolls around. Malice will be over and I’ll be exhausted.)

Three Achievements I’m Most Proud Of

I’ve had my share of successes and failures in my life. Here are the achievements that stand out in my mind. Two of them are related to my writing career.

1. The publication of my first book.
I was in seventh heaven when my children’s novel, And Don’t Bring Jeremy, was published back in 1985. (Was it that long ago?) Publishers Weekly reviewed it-- “Levinson’s first novel promises to launch her career as a gifted, sensitive author”-- and included one of Diane deGroat’s drawings. A book club bought the paperback rights  before the hardcover came out. In time, Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. I was thrilled. Surely, every book I wrote from here on in would be published. Hah! Was I in for a rude awakening.

But there’s a nice ending to this story. And Don’t Bring Jeremy is now available in e-form through Untreed Reads. This week it’s 30% off the regular price of $3.99: http://store.untreedreads.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_335&products_id=710

2. My father was a difficult man with a bad temper. At 92, he was living alone in the Florida condo he’d shared with my stepmother. Always athletic, he was now beset with various problems—in need of cataract surgery, falling occasionally, and suffering severe shoulder pain. My husband and I often flew down from NY to take Dad to doctors, and to do what we could to help ease his life. I hired aides, and he would fire them for sitting around and “doing nothing.” Dad's doctor told him he needed to move to an Independent Living facility, but Dad was having none of it.

On one visit he agreed to look at residences. I don’t know what I said, but finally Dad agreed to move to a facility near his condo. To this day, I can’t believe we signed the necessary papers, moved Dad and his belongings, and settled him in his new home—all within three days.

3. Last week I was bursting with pride as I drove home from my Long Island Sisters in Crime meeting. Member John Nolan had just given a most informative talk on mistakes criminals make, discussing actual cases he’d supervised when he was Commanding Officer of Nassau County’s Homicide Squad. The month before, member Linda Frank gave a brilliant talk on DNA, which she used to teach.

Three years ago I'd come home from my first Malice Domestic convention knowing I wanted to start a Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime. I convinced my friend and fellow writer, Bernadine Fagan, to help me co-found a group. We contacted Sisters in Crime members in the Long Island area and held our first meeting in August of 2010. In December, Hank Phillippi Ryan, who had offered to be our first guest speaker, came down from Boston to give us an unforgettable presentation.

We are a small but active group of mystery writers. After my presidency of two years, Charlene Knadle took over the office and is doing a wonderful job. The Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime continues to flourish.

What achievement are you most proud of? Write and let me know what it is.